Property Hooks (PHP 8.4)

TL;DR

Explanation

Syntax: public string $name { get { return $this->name; } set(string $value) { $this->name = trim($value); } }. Shorthand set: set => trim($value). Virtual properties (no backing storage): public string $fullName { get => "$this->first $this->last"; }. A property with only get is implicitly read-only from outside. Abstract hooks in abstract classes and interfaces define contracts. Hooks interact with readonly: readonly properties can only have get hooks (PHP 8.4 allows set in clone). Backed vs virtual: backed has storage, virtual derives. Constructor promotion works with hooks.

Common Misconception

Why It Matters

Common Mistakes

• Putting complex business logic in hooks — keep hooks simple.
• Using hooks where readonly would suffice.
• Forgetting virtual properties cannot be set directly.

Code Examples

class User {
    private string $_name;
    public function getName(): string { return $this->_name; }
    public function setName(string $v): void { $this->_name = trim($v); }
}

// PHP 8.4:
class User {
    public string $name { set => trim($value); }

    // Virtual — no backing storage:
    public string $initials {
        get => implode('', array_map(fn($w) => $w[0], explode(' ', $this->name)));
    }
}

References

• ↗ https://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.property-hooks.php

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